Mets fire manager Carlos Mendoza amid disappointing 2026 season

The New York Mets are making a major change amid their disappointing 2026 campaign. They announced Friday that they’ve parted ways with manager Carlos Mendoza after less than three full seasons at the helm. 

Senior Vice President of Baseball Development Andy Green will take over as the club’s interim manager for the remainder of the season. The move comes with the Mets mired in a six-game losing streak and sitting 34-47, well below expectations entering the year.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns thanked Mendoza for his work. He also acknowledged the organization needed a new direction.

“Carlos has led the organization with passion and grace and is beloved by everyone who works with him on a daily basis,” Stearns said in a statement. “Carlos’ impact on our players, staff, and culture over the last three seasons has been transformative. Unfortunately, we know we are falling short and change is necessary to move forward.”

Owner Steve Cohen echoed those sentiments. He also admitted the season has fallen well short of expectations.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Carlos Mendoza for his leadership and unwavering commitment. He represented this organization with integrity and dedication throughout, and I wish him and his family all the best,” Cohen said. “Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed. There is no sugar coating it: this season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered.”

Alas, Mendoza took over prior to the 2024 season after serving as the New York Yankees’ bench coach. He made an immediate impact, leading the Mets to the National League Championship Series during his first year and finishing as a finalist for National League Manager of the Year.

His tenure ends with a 206-198 record, but the momentum from that postseason run quickly faded. The Mets never found consistency in 2026, and defensive mistakes became a recurring theme throughout the first half of the season.

Following Thursday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs, Mendoza voiced his frustration after another costly defensive performance.

“Especially the leadoff one there, it’s a completely different inning, especially for Freddy’s outing there,” Mendoza said, via SNY. “It’s just routine plays that are costing us. At this level, you expect to make plays like that. You understand that they’re not gonna be perfect, but those are as routine as it gets and teams are making us pay for it, especially the past few nights.”

Players also acknowledged the frustration inside the clubhouse as losses continued to pile up.

“I cannot speak for everybody, but what I can say and what I feel is just, losing is no fun,” star pitcher Freddy Peralta said. “We’ve been trying and we’ve been working really hard to get through this and trying to make adjustments. Right now we just need to keep trying and play better.”

Moving forward, Green now inherits a difficult situation for the remainder of the season. The 48-year-old previously managed the San Diego Padres from 2016-19 and joined the Mets organization in 2023. 

He becomes the third manager to take over a club midseason this year, joining Boston and Philadelphia after Alex Cora and Rob Thomson were dismissed earlier in the campaign.

The Mets will hope a change in leadership can spark a turnaround and restore some momentum after what has been one of the most disappointing starts in baseball. It might be too little, too late, though.